


stalemate

by silencedmockingjay



Series: this world is a game [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Gamer AU - Freeform, Gamer Victor, M/M, No Game No Life, POV Katsuki Yuuri, POV Victor Nikiforov, Youtuber AU, alternate universe - no game no life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-11-23 18:58:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11408559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silencedmockingjay/pseuds/silencedmockingjay
Summary: “Your eyes are like the sky. Blue. But empty.”***When Viktor, famous Youtuber and gaming prodigy, gets beaten in a simple straightforward game of chess by someone who calls himself “Eros”, Viktor decides to find him to prove he’s better - and hopefully meet up with him in real life, because hey. Someone who can beat the person with the highest IQ in the world - so far - has to be hot, right?





	1. game start

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by No Game No Life, a beautiful anime that you MUST watch! 
> 
> This is also the prequel to a fic I will be writing, titled checkmate. It isn't out yet. I WILL be completing this before posting checkmate (which, by the way, will probably be about 15 chapters! I'm excited lol :D) 
> 
> As always, unbetaed so far, and written by a very great 13 year old, if I do say so myself :)))
> 
> Special thanks to everyone in the VWC for putting up with my ranting about this, as well as a shoutout to Andi - miraculouskatsukii on Ao3 - for letting me bounce ideas off her and being a great supportive friend! Thanks bud :3 
> 
> Without further ado - enjoy!

Viktor is 4 when the people start coming. 

 

They stay for a while, one hour, two hours? He can’t remember, because after a while, all their voices fuzz out, like they’re static programs in a multiplayer game. All their faces blur into one as well, NPCs after NPCs. Those kind of faces that you can pass one day on the street and forget a moment later. 

 

They talk to him sometimes, meaningless voices fuzzy and distant, but always, always with a note of respect in them. He doesn’t understand why. 

 

What he remembers, though, is that each and every single one of them played a game of chess with him. And each and every one of them lost. 

 

Child’s play. 

 

It’s glaringly obvious to him, each twitch they make, each expression that flits across their faces. He doesn’t know  _ how  _ he knows, but he acts on his observations anyways, moving his king almost right into their queen’s path just to see the shock flitting across their faces, then a grin that always, always says, “easy prey”. 

 

Even though they try to school their faces into a mask afterwards, there’s always still a trace of glassy humor there, a little sadistic part of them now in the open that always says the same thing. 

 

_ “I’ve got you now, child.”  _

 

They almost never see the trap, none of them do, until Viktor’s knight leaps over from 12 boxes away and lands squarely on the queen’s spot, Viktor flicking the fallen queen away towards the eaten pieces with ease, his king still intact. 

 

Their reactions are always the same then, and the games always end with a single word that Viktor says. 

 

“Checkmate.” 

 

***

 

Viktor’s parents are proud, of course. They now have a child with one of the highest intelligence levels in the world. They know his future is now open. Doctor, scientist, lawyer, mathematician, his future is bright and glorious to them. 

 

Instead of doing what they want, just to surprise them, Viktor heads for the international Chess Grandmaster Tournament at the age of 12. 

 

At the age of 13, he wins it. 

 

***

 

They scream at him when they find out he doesn’t want to become any of their expectations. 

 

They scream and scream and scream. 

 

_ Worthless.  _

 

_ Useless.  _

 

_ Foolish.  _

 

Viktor knows his parents mean good for him, for his future, but it’s so hard to listen to them screaming at him. It all fades into background noise eventually, and he just sits there watching them. His father’s twitching eye, his mother’s mouth opened just a bit too wide for speaking, how narrow their eyes are. He observes it all, quietly, quietly. 

 

When he looks at himself in the mirror later, once his parents have tired themselves out and gone to bed, his eyes have gone dull blue and glassy. 

 

***

 

Viktor is 14 when he hears of something called “Youtube”. 

 

His friends are babbling about it excitedly, about videos of their favourite topics and comment sections and Youtubers and subscribers. They excitedly tell him to subscribe to their channels, to check out the videos they make, ramble on about other famous Youtubers who can make a living simply by creating videos, and have their own fanbase worldwide. 

 

_ What’s a fanbase?  _ Viktor asks them. 

 

_ It’s a group of people, spread worldwide, that love the things you do and love you,  _ they reply.  _ You should be a Youtuber, Viktor, and get your own fanbase!  _

 

_ Why would I need my fanbase if I have family and friends?  _ Viktor asks again. 

 

_ It’s a different kind of love,  _ they assure him.  _ It’s way more fun.  _

 

Viktor doubts it. He has his family to look out for him, and that’s enough. 

 

***

 

When he’s 15, his parents die in a car crash. 

 

***

 

When he’s 16, his uncle and aunt kick him out of their house. 

 

_ Worthless,  _ they scream at him.  _ Useless. Foolish. Good for nothing.  _

 

It’s the screaming. Always the screaming. 

 

Eyes, blue and glassy. 

 

***

 

When he’s 17, he makes his first Youtube account. 

 

His first video is nothing fancy - just him doing a little self-intro in his flat that he managed to get after working overtime in a burger shop - waving shyly and blushing, playing up his vulnerable side and explaining what happened to him, and asking people that wanted to help him reach his dreams of becoming a famous Youtuber to either buy him a coffee, or click the subscribe and like buttons. 

 

But it blows up a week later, when a famous fashion and design Youtuber under the name of Intoxicated_Rhapsody retweets his video, he gains a thousand subscribers. And the numbers keep climbing. 

 

Soon, he’s well on his way to Youtube fame, with a million subscribers to date. He tries to act like a normal Youtuber, laughing at jokes fans share with him, doing stupid dares sent in to his Youtube comment section, trying to act normal. 

 

For a while, his eyes gain a spark of light. 

 

***

 

When he’s 19, his peace is shattered. 

 

Someone recognises him from an article released when he was born, stating his IQ, proclaiming him as a genius. 

 

They leave an innocuous comment,  _ hey, aren’t you the kid from the article 19 years back? The one with the highest IQ level in the world so far? Why are you becoming a Youtuber when you can become anything you want to be?  _

 

It blows up again. 

 

His eyes dim. 

 

***

 

When he’s 20, he hits 8 million subscribers on his channel. 

 

Now he’s famous, but for a different reason. 

 

Ever since the comment, there’s been a never-ending stream of people challenging him to games, just to prove they’re smarter than him. 

 

Chess. Blackjack. Poker. Japanese Go. It doesn’t matter. He sweeps them all with the ease of practice; defeats them all in one fell swoop. It doesn’t matter how hard they try to come after him, try to knock him down from the king’s pedestal; all he needs to do is stand on the king’s position and direct his pawns to destroy them. 

 

It becomes a thing on his channel; Sundays are Math Challenge days, Mondays are IQ Challenge Days, and so on so forth. Each week, new challengers come. Each week, they’re defeated. Each week, Viktor stays on his pedestal of games, high and so far out of reach. 

 

Meanwhile, a 16-year old boy with black hair and brown eyes watches every video, eyes tracking each game, each move, each second. 

 

**prologue end**


	2. defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new challenger appears, and this one is unique. Very unique.

It’s Christmas.

 

It’s also another day of Chess Challenge Fridays, so named and set apart from the rest of the games because chess is the exact game that set Viktor apart from his fellow friends in school.

 

Viktor has always had a soft spot for chess. It’s an analytical game, designed exactly like a game of kingdoms. Divide and conquer. Sacrifice a pawn to capture a queen. How to substitute a weak piece for a strong one. Shoring up defences to make up for weaknesses. It’s all great fun, and he knows it all.

 

No one has yet defeated him at his home base - or game - yet.

 

It’s nearing the end of his Chess Challenge stream again, and all he’s doing now is laughing and answering his live chat, ranging from the usual “Wow! You’re so smart!” to more personal questions like “Do you still miss your parents?”

 

_(He’s not ready to answer the second one.)_

 

_(Because he knows his parents cared.)_

 

_(But he turned his back on them.)_

 

_(And they died before he could turn back.)_

 

_(Sometimes he wonders what would have happened to him if he followed his parents’ wishes. Would he have been a doctor? Lawyer? Mathematician? Scientist?)_

 

_(Would he have been successful?)_

 

_(Would he still have been a Youtuber?)_

 

_(One thing that he knows is that he definitely wouldn’t be here, streaming himself playing games out of an old, worn out apartment.)_

 

Brushing off that question with an easy laugh, he turns back to his chat, only to see a new message in the live chat.

 

**maiseni: omg that’s so cool! Omg omg o mg i guess it’s true when they say you’re the smartest person in the world :OOOO**

 

 **miraculous-katsukii: holy fucking SHIT you DESTROYED THAT DUDE (sorry @a_gay_pe, you’re still a great player though) but omg that was so fast!! And so cool!!!** **  
  
**

**tikki-transforme-moi: TEACH ME VIKTOR PLZ**

 

**yougotthefancymoose: haWoW that’s amazing!!!!**

 

**+1 NEW MESSAGE**

 

**eros: Are you still taking chess challenges?**

 

Viktor frowns. Another? He’s about to wrap up his stream and he needs his afternoon nap on his sofa bed. This challenger will have to wait another week.

 

**_eros is typing…_ **

 

**eros: I want to challenge you in chess.**

 

**eros: But you can’t stream the match.**

 

Well, this is interesting.

 

Viktor rises and stretches, crackling his knuckles. “Well, alright then, folks,” he chuckles to the stream and his chat, who by now have seen the last challenger and are buzzing excitedly. “Guess I’ll have to bring the stream to a close early. Since Eros would like his privacy. I’ll open up a game room in chess for us on a website and post the link in the chat, okay? See you guys tomorrow.” With that, he closes the stream but leaves the live chat to talk, opening up a new tab and logging into a random online chess game.

 

What he loves about online matches is that he can’t watch his opponent, can’t see their faces, can’t exactly predict on the dot what their strategy will be, so it gives him a chance to polish up his chess skills.

 

Soon, Eros logs into the chat - Viktor can see their username pop up next to a blinking icon.

 

**_eros is typing…_ **

 

**eros: White or black?**

 

Oh, right, he has to choose a side.

 

**v_nikiforov: black! The opposite of my hair haha**

 

**eros: so ur hair is white? didn’t know u were that old lol**

 

_What the actual fuck._

 

**v_nikiforov: my hair is platinuM!!!!! Platinum!!!**

 

**eros: sorry lol**

 

**eros: just that your camera makes your hair look white.**

 

He has to get a new camera. Immediately.

 

Oh _gods,_ have people always been thinking that his hair is white? As a Youtuber, he can’t afford to have people thinking he’s an 80 year old man. His entire career relies on _image,_ for goodness’ sake.

 

Still lost in his thoughts, he fires off a message to e_ros.

 

**v_nikiforov: You start first.**

 

**eros: alright**

 

“Opponent’s move: C2 to C4,” his computer speaks, female monotonous voice sounding dull and bored.

 

“C2 to C4, eh?” he muses, staring at the glowing computer screen. Unusual for a first move. This person must have some prior experience in chess.

 

_Cllck-click._

 

“Your move: E2 to E5.”

 

Staring at the screen, he wonders: _What will they do next?_

 

“Opponent’s move: B2 to C3.”

 

_Click… click click._

 

“Your move: B8 to C6.”

 

Suddenly, Viktor sees the chatbox in the bottom right corner of his screen move, his opponent typing something

 

**_eros is typing…_ **

 

**eros: you know**

 

**eros: when i saw you the first time on youtube**

 

**eros: i saw your eyes**

 

**eros: your eyes…  they’re like the sky.**

 

**eros: Blue.**

 

**eros: And empty.**

 

For a moment, Viktor freezes.

 

_How does he know how does he know how does he know-_

 

_His parents are screaming again._

 

_His eyes are dull again._

 

_Blue_

 

_Empty_

 

_He’s worthless_

 

_He’s useless_

 

_He’s foolish_

 

_He’s he’s he’s_

 

**v_nikiforov: what do you mean?? i‘m afraid i don’t understand you, sorry haha**

 

**eros: your charms may work on your chat, but i’m afraid they don’t work on me**

 

**eros: i’m more perceptive than you think**

 

Viktor types his next few words in a daze, unaware of the progressing chess game.

 

**v_nikiforov: how do you know**

 

He hovers his cursor over the send button for a while, then clicks on the message and deletes it.

 

_Use your words like your pawns. Chess is a strategy game. Play well, and you may yet be able to hide._

 

_Chess is a strategy game._

 

“Check.” his computer says. Viktor blinks in a daze.

 

_What._

 

_Stupid stupid stupid, you allowed him to corner you in your own territory, MOVE YOUR KING PIECE NIKIFOROV!_

 

He shifts it into the corner with a grimace. He has no choice now but to try and blockade himself in his army. All his other routes are either cut off by his own pieces or blocked by the white knight piece. His opponent’s skilled, that’s for sure.

 

Eros’s knight piece jumps back.

 

Viktor blinks in confusion for a second, because that is _exactly_ what he doesn’t expect.

 

And then the GAME OVER notification flashes up on his screen.

 

_What._

 

Clicking out of the GAME OVER screen, his eyes pan over the chess board.

 

It’s a perfect, complete checkmate.

 

In 10 moves.

 

_Impossible._

 

But it’s right in front of him, and he lost, and whoever this eros person is, he’s a player that successfully beat Viktor, reigning Chess Grandmaster. Maybe it’s just because he provoked Viktor _(accidentally, or on purpose? He can’t tell now, he’s never been good at reading people through computer screens)_ , but whoever Eros is, he’s incredibly smart, to beat Viktor in 10 moves.

 

_Only 10…_

 

His opponent is typing something into the chat. To mock him? To scorn him for losing?

 

**_eros is typing…_ **

 

**eros: Checkmate :)**

 

**eros: happy birthday, viktor**

 

**_eros has left the game._ **

  


**chapter 1 complete**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chess game Viktor and Eros play here is referenced from this match: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1599669
> 
> Wow, Eros's sure got some moves, huh? 
> 
> Next chapter: Viktor's determined on finding whoever this elusive person is...


	3. search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's going to search for Eros until his last breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo!!! Stalemate's finally hit 100 kudos and you guys won't believe how happy i am with the comments sob sob. 
> 
> SHOUTOUT TO ALL COMMENTERS: I LOVE YOU GUYS YOU GUYS MAKE MY DAY AND IM SO SHOOK BY THE AMOUNT OF RECEPTION MY FIC HAS GOTTEN! 
> 
> Also, the next update will come a bit slower as i am intending to post the last chapter of stalemate (which will be slightly longer than the others) and the first chapter of checkmate (predicted at around 5k) on the same day. Yep-yep, I'm sad for this prequel to end (so soon!) but... you guys are going to finally get the main fic ayyy ;)
> 
> This is also more of a transition chapter, but don't worry, I promise a fliptastic last chapter ;) ;) ;)

“Goddamnit,” Viktor curses for the thousandth time, dry mouth still bitter from the taste of defeat and memories of dull eyes.

 

He’s pored over and over each move he’s made in the game with Eros, and he’s astounded at his stupidity. Now that the game is over, and all Eros’s moves are recorded on the website, he’s using the stimulator provided there to replay the match over and over, analysing what he did wrong, anything he could have avoided.

 

And after about an hour of doing that, he’s come to a conclusion.

 

Eros is a _fucking genius._

 

His strategy is surprising, new, and so completely effective it’s almost infuriating that no one else has figured out his strategy before now. And Viktor knows that if he played again, even without Eros’s comment about his dull eyes _(how does he know? Viktor still doesn’t understand-)_ he would have still lost.

 

He’s just that damn good.

 

And Viktor isn’t jealous.

 

_(Okay, maybe he is, just a little. Just a little. JUST A LITTLE, because there is no way Viktor Nikiforov is going to be jealous and petty over someone beating him in a chess match. One time. One damn time.)_

 

_(How’d he do it anyways?)_

 

_(Viktor needs to find him. In real life.)_

 

_(To talk, to talk about things, things like Viktor’s Youtube account and the chess match and Eros themselves, because Eros is mysterious. Has this aura around him, like a warning not to get too close.)_

 

_(And VIktor, being the damn idiot he is, wants to get close.)_

 

_(Because Eros is a mystery, and geniuses love mysteries, and he’ll be damned if he, a genius, doesn’t solve this one.)_

 

***

 

Viktor starts his search from Eros’s Youtube account, the one that he uses to sub to Viktor’s account, because that’s the only clue he has so far.

 

Sadly, it’s bare. Viktor expected as much. If Eros really didn’t want to be found, he’d keep this account a bare one. It makes sense. The only thing on his bio is a sentence that says, “Full-time gamer and NEET. Always at cybercafes.” Which doesn’t really help, does it? All he knows that NEET stands for Not in Employment, Education or Training - which, combined with the gamer part of his bio, probably means that he’s a full-time shut in.

 

So now he’s at a dead end. Again.

 

After another hour of staying up at night to try and search for Eros, Viktor gives up and just simply plugs the words “gamer” and “eros” into Google.

 

He’s highly doubtful anything will turn up, though. If Eros knows how to cover his tracks this well, then nothing will probably turn up on Google.

 

So when the first thing he sees is a Buzzfeed article titled, “Urban Gaming Legend Eros Strikes Again!”, he slams his head on the table.

 

_What the actual fuck._

 

_So not only is he a good chess player, he’s also a gaming legend?_

 

***

 

**Urban Gaming Legend Eros Strikes Again**

It’s a 1 vs 300 players death match - and he wins.

**By Krizariel**

**Buzzfeed Staff**

 

Alright, so I’m sure everyone in the VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplay Game) community knows about the legendary gamer Eros by now. The guy - all we know for sure is that he’s a guy - is a freaking maniac. He’s the highest ranked player in pretty much every VRMMORPG game you see, and his preferred weapon is always a gun. His username everytime is also always Gamer_Eros, so we all know it’s him. But this time - he’s really outdone himself. In the newest VRMMORPG Sharpshooter 7 (which you should really play if you haven’t already) he challenged Guild Nightfox in a 1 vs 300 players battle - and he won.

 

You heard me right, folks. He _won._ And for those of you who are doubting it - the livestream of the match just played today here . So now you can all put your conspiracy theories to rest. I myself was one of the players in Guild Nightfox, and i can tell you what happened in the battle. So buckle up, folks, because this tale is _wild._

 

First off, for those who are dubious - not to brag, but Guild Nightfox is the most popular and holds the position of second ranked guild in Sharpshooter 7. We have a total of about 2400 players, and our 300 best were picked when we faced down Eros. By 300 best, we mean level 50s and above - all S-Rank players. The top 10% of the entire Sharpshooter 7 cohort. And Eros completely destroyed us all. I’ll tell you the three things he did that pretty much sealed our doom.

 

First point, when we entered the arena, he was already there, dressed in his usual black armor plus his two pistols. And as soon as the match started, he disappeared. I’m not kidding. He literally disappeared out of our line of vision and reappeared on one of the ledges on top of us, which gave him an instant advantage of height and clear visibility. And I say this is incredibly smart of him, because for one, speed stats are very underrated in Sharpshooter 7, because most people tend to focus on accuracy stats rather than speed stats. Secondly, that split-second shock gave him time to fire off at least 15 bullets into the crowd of guild players, and since we didn’t have time to separate, those bullets killed quite a few players.

 

Which brings me to the second point: I didn’t know it was possible to poison bullets. I don’t think any of us knew. But Eros somehow did, and that’s exactly what he did to his bullets. It’s ingenious, honestly, but we still have no idea how he does it, or what poison he uses.

 

Third and last point: Eros is a _freaking math genius._ I bullshit you not, he is quite possibly a mathematician, you want to know why? I got pretty close to him at one point during the battle, and i heard him muttering numbers. Firing trajectories, amount of force the bullet would bounce back with, firing degree, acceptable missing errors, you name it, he said it. He was calculating the perfect angles and heights to aim at certain players and hit them with a perfect headshot to drain their HP. And that skill, combined with his impossibly high speed stats… well, it’s easy to see why we lost.

 

You want to know what I think on the matter? I think that no matter what else we could have done, we would have still lost. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone can beat Eros at this point. He’s way too skilled.

 

_Read more_

 

Viktor has to rub his eyes once, and then twice again just to make sure he’s reading the article correctly.

 

Gaming legend. Skilled mathematician. Is there anything else Eros can’t do?

 

It makes sense, at least. It would explain everything about his chess skills, his speed stats, his point-blank shots. 

 

And maybe... maybe, Eros is a genius like Viktor is too, but on the opposite side of the spectrum, where intelligence dissolves into logic and superhuman math calculation, instead of cold reading and pure emotion-based observation. 

 

 _Well, at least I’ve got you now, Eros,_ Viktor smirks, a small twitch at the corner of his mouth, before he opens the webpage to download Sharpshooter 7. 

 

_Checkmate, I’ve found you._

 

**chapter 2 complete**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always: come find me on tumblr at overcome-chihoko, and do check out my other works for the YOI fandom!


	4. Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes down to a coin flip... and Viktor's careful planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE UPDATE IS FINALLY HERE! I'm sad to see stalemate end, but checkmate's chapter 1 is also up too! The link's at the bottom of the page, in the end notes.

It’s 1pm. 

 

It’s 1pm and it’s 1 hour before he’s supposed to meet Viktor Nikiforov, freaking Viktor Nikiforov, his longtime idol and… tiny crush, and also super-genius, as well as one of the most famous Youtubers in the world with a fanbase of 8 million people. 

 

It’s an understatement to say that Yuuri’s nervous at this point. 

 

Not to mention the fact that he beat Viktor in a chess match on his own birthday and left after wishing Viktor a happy birthday. And acted like a weirdo in general. A creepy weirdo. 

 

To calm himself down, he takes out his phone, scrolls through the screenshotted messages he’s been exchanging with Viktor -  _ Viktor Nikiforov, of all people -  _ and rereads the messages, feels his breath slow down, his heart settle into a steady rhythm unlike the erratic thumping before. 

 

**v-nikiforov: I’ve finally found you.**

 

**Eros: Excuse me? Could you please clarify what you mean?**

 

**v-nikiforov: i would appreciate it if you would stop lying. You know exactly what I mean.**

 

**Eros: In fact, I do not.**

 

**v-nikiforov: Either you admit you know what I mean, or we keep going around in circles like this, Eros.**

 

**Eros: What do you want me to talk about, Viktor? I’m afraid there is nothing much to speak about.** **I rule the world of VRMMORPGs, you rule the world of IQ games. We are in two separate worlds.**

 

**Eros: Go back to where you belong.**

 

**v-nikiforov: oh, so we aren’t allowed to talk, one genius to another?**

 

**Eros: I’m no genius.**

 

**v-nikiforov: Says the man who holds every single record in video games in the world, huh?**

 

**v-nikiforov: You’re a hard man to track down, Eros. But I have some information.**

 

**v-nikiforov: Asian, 20+ years old, probably speaks some Japanese considering how good you’re at games with Japanese text, moreso than english games at least. In Detroit, America.**

 

**_v-nikiforov has sent a location._ **

 

**v-nikiforov: Meet me here at 2pm. Blast or bust.**

 

**v-nikiforov: Let the games begin.**

 

**_v-nikiforov has gone offline._ **

 

***

 

_ Let the games begin, eh?  _

 

_ Yuuri’s smile curls up into a smirk, his eyes fixed on the Sharpshooter 7 chatbox.  _

 

_ Maybe he isn’t so good at meeting people face-to-face, outside of a computer screen, but he can definitely play games.  _

 

_ And if Viktor Nikiforov wants one more game with him - who is he to refuse? He is a gamer, after all.  _

 

_ And gamers don’t play games.  _

 

_ They win them.  _

 

***

 

Now, he isn’t so sure anymore. Now that he’s in a public place, now that he’s out in the public eye, dressed in an all black ensemble with a grey hoodie covering his face, lurking around in an alley behind the cafe where they’re supposed to meet, he can practically feel his courage draining away. 

 

_ Viktor Nikiforov asked you to meet him here,  _ he tells himself.  _ Not that big of a deal. You are as much a genius as he is, albeit on the opposite side, but that doesn’t matter.You can beat him in a game anytime.  _

 

_ You have beaten him in a game once.  _

 

_ What does he want now, though? _

 

_ Is he meeting me for revenge? Curiosity? Apprehension? I don’t know…  _

 

Instantly, his thoughts grind to a halt as Viktor Nikiforov steps into the mouth of the alley, baseball cap snug over his platinum hair, light blue jacket, yellow t-shirt and prussian blue jeans enhancing his outline, somehow making it sharper and more real, as he stops and leans against a wall, looking like he’s casually waiting for someone. 

 

When he glances at Yuuri, though, it’s the barely masked outline of a knowing smirk. 

 

Yuuri waits for him to make the first move. 

 

The silence, the oppression, the tension between them, feels like a pressing wall to Yuuri. 

 

If Viktor senses it though, he doesn’t show it.

 

Viktor’s move comes soon, ten minutes later, when he finally pushes himself off the wall and approaches Yuuri, looking him up and down with an appraising gleam in his eyes. Yuuri tries to stand still, keep his head down, not meet Viktor’s eyes, maybe melt from existence altogether, but it doesn’t work. He can feel Viktor’s eyes on him like searchlights. 

 

_ Stop looking at me,  _ he silently wills.  _ Go away.  _

 

When he looks up again, Viktor’s standing right in front of him, too close, too close, his eyes are gleaming again-

 

_ No.  _

 

_ No.  _

 

_ No- _

 

_ Fire, fire everywhere.  _

 

_ GET AWAY FROM ME!  _

 

With a rough shove, he flinches away from Viktor, and the next thing he knows, he’s on his feet panting about one meter away from Viktor, who has his hands shoved into his pockets. 

 

Glancing up, Yuuri can see Viktor’s mouth part a little, his eyes glistening with shock and hurt, before he smooths it over again. 

 

_ He’s hurt.  _

 

_ Fuck, Katsuki Yuuri, you can’t help but screw up everything you do, right? Apologise to him!  _

 

“I-I mean, sorry!” Yuuri gasps, backing away from him again. “I-I-” 

 

“No, no, it’s okay,” Viktor shakes his head. “I was the one who was intruding in your personal space. Sorry.” 

 

“...Glad to see your eyes have a spark in them now,” Yuuri manages to say, looking pointedly at the other end of the alley, away from Viktor’s eyes, grateful he still has the breath to talk. 

 

_ Hopefully… I didn’t hurt him too much? Gods, I’m a mess. A horrible mess that can only play games.  _

 

“They do?” One of Viktor’s hands instinctively rises to his cheek, and a slow smile spreads across his face, and his eyes leap with that bright spark again. 

 

It’s beautiful. 

 

And Yuuri can’t look away, no matter how much he wants to. 

 

_ Crisis averted.  _

 

“So…” Yuuri twirls his index finger in a circle, “If you aren’t going to say anything, I’m going to go.” 

 

And then Viktor’s right in front of him, grabbing his wrist, staring right into his eyes, and saying, ”No.” 

 

_ What?  _

 

“Look,” Yuuri snaps, “if you don’t tell me what you wanted to find me for, and made me step out of my room into the damn sunshine-” 

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Viktor says, suddenly withdrawing his hands, taking two steps back. “It’s just…” 

 

“Just what?”

 

“...Just that it’s been so long since I’ve met another genius,” Viktor sighs, stepping back, hand raking through his hair, looking troubled. “Someone else like me.” 

 

_ He really does never fail to surprise me.  _

 

“I’m the opposite of a genius,” Yuuri points out. 

 

“Says the person who beat the reigning youngest chess grandmaster in history with a 10-move checkmate online,” Viktor laughs. “You’re a genius in my eyes, at least.” 

 

“...Thank you.” 

 

“Anyways!” Viktor cheers, mask firmly back in place, signature crooked grin on his face. “What do you say to playing a game?”

 

_ A game?  _

 

“What game?” Yuuri folds his arms, setting his mouth in a straight line. 

 

“Since we’re meeting, genius to genius… or should I say gamer to gamer?” Viktor’s smirk grows wider, his eyes narrowed. 

 

“I like how you think. So what’s the game?” 

 

Viktor digs out something from his pocket and tosses it to Yuuri, who catches it. 

 

It’s a coin. 

 

“A coin flip.” 

 

Yuuri’s mouth opens almost involuntarily, “Boring.” 

 

_ Fuck.  _

 

_ Yuuri, you idiot! You can’t say that out loud- _

 

“Oh?” Viktor’s eyes glint with the promises of a challenge. “Then what do you propose?” 

 

“Why play a game when you stand nothing to gain from it?” Yuuri returns, eyes narrowed. “Surely you want to gain something from this?” 

 

Viktor stares for a moment, then throws back his head and laughs, his platinum hair glinting with the ray of sunlight illuminating the alley. “So I see you’re smarter than I took you for.” 

 

“Many people have done that,” Yuuri murmurs, a small smile appearing on his face. 

 

“So, what do you propose to make the game more interesting?” 

 

“Simple,” Yuuri lets out a puff of air. “If you win, you make a demand of your choice. If I win, I make a demand of my own choice. Deal?” 

 

And then a real heart-shaped smile appears on Viktor’s face, illuminating, bright, like the sun on that day. 

 

Yuuri looks away, feeling the tips of his ears heat up, and tosses the coin back at Viktor. 

 

“Deal!” Viktor catches the coin, beaming. “If I win, then we’ll teamwork together and dominate the world of games!” 

 

“...You sure do have big dreams, do you?” 

 

“So what if I do?” Viktor grins at Yuuri. “What’s your deal?” 

 

Yuuri sucks in a breath.

 

_ Blue, blue, blue eyes- _

 

_ Blue, blue skies- _

 

“If I win the coin flip, you’ll stop intruding on my area of games and leave.” 

 

If possible, Viktor’s grin grows wider. “You’re on, Eros.” 

 

***

 

“So this is how it’ll go,” Viktor explains, absentmindedly fiddling around with the coin they’re going to use. “I’ll flip the coin, and you can say which side you want as it falls. I’ll take the other. Understood?” 

 

“Understood.” 

 

“Then, 3, 2, 1,  _ go!”  _

 

With a flick of Viktor’s thumb, the coin arcs into the sky, glinting in the glare of the sun, and instantly, Yuuri’s brain fuzzes out. 

 

_ If it travels at that constant speed all the time, the coin will flip about 145 and two-third times in the air, hit the ground on heads, bounce for 7 times, spin 6 times…  _

 

_...And land on tails.  _

 

“Tails,” Yuuri bites out sharply, just as the coin hits the floor, bouncing one-two-three-four-five-six-seven times, spinning for 6 rotations…

 

_ Chink.  _

 

The coin comes to a rest, balancing delicately on its side, stuck in a crack in the pavement. 

 

_ What?  _

 

_ How- _

 

And then he takes in the position of Viktor’s foot on the loose stone, his knowing smirk on his face, the angle of Viktor’s hand, and he  _ understands.  _

 

“You’re sneaky,” Yuuri laughs, and thinks not for the first time, that Viktor Nikiforov is a  _ genius.  _ “You planned this, didn’t you? You scouted out this area beforehand, found the loose tile, and planned to use this coin flip to get what you wanted - a draw. And to do that, you used your foot to slide the tile back when you flipped the coin.” 

 

He already knows the answer - it’s written in the delighted grin on Viktor’s face, so wide he doesn’t even bother to conceal it. 

 

“Hm, this is a problem, eh?” Viktor hums, bending down to pick up the coin from where it’s stuck. “So it’s a draw, so do we both win, or both lose?” 

 

He tosses the coin back to Yuuri, who catches it with both hands. “So do we win, or do we lose? Your choice, Eros.” 

 

“Do you actually want me to say it?” Yuuri raises an eyebrow, flicking the coin up, up, up into the air, so the sunlight can catch it and make it glow. “We both win, of course.” 

 

“Alright, alright,” Viktor laughs - a real laugh, not the polite ones he always gives his Youtube viewers, catching the coin in his palm. “So we teamwork together, to dominate the world of cybergames, and you have a choice to pull out anytime you want. Deal?” 

 

“Deal,” Yuuri smiles, removing his hood and stepping into the ray of sunlight, holding out his hand. “I think proper introductions are in order, Mr Nikiforov.” 

 

Viktor mirrors his smile, grasping Yuuri’s hand and shaking it gently. “My name’s Viktor Nikiforov. Nice to meet you, partner.” 

 

“My name’s Yuuri Katsuki. Nice to meet you too, partner.” 

 

_ Now… let the games begin, for real.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [HERE IS CHECKMATE GUYS ENJOY](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11585532/chapters/26035917)


End file.
